Kinston Summerfest continues Thursday with Jonathan Parker Band

The name has changed, but the content hasn’t. 

Pride of Kinston will present its second concert in the Kinston Summerfest series Thursday with the Jonathan Parker Band. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at Pearson Park with an afterparty at The Red Room.

Spare Change kicked off the event, formerly known as Sand In The Streets, on June 7.

"When promoting and doing advertisement, we wanted to have something associated with Kinston," Pride of Kinston director Leon Steele said. "'Sand In The Streets' was a good name, but it felt generic and we wanted Kinston to be better represented."

Of the six acts, Steele said there’s an eclectic mix to make each show a worthwhile experience. The Jonathan Parker Band will have more of a country music feel, with future acts bringing different vibes.

"We wanted to have a little more diversity in the lineup," Steele said. "The bands will play some crowd favorites and have a bit of a beach vibe with a little country. Every band performing in the Kinston Summerfest is from North Carolina, and it shows how many talented musicians we have."

Overall, Steele said he hopes the masses come out to enjoy the music and spend some time in Kinston after the show.

"My hopes are to bring a lot more people downtown and increase the demographics," Steele said. "We want people to come to the events and then stay downtown a bit. It's a family-friendly environment with the new playground at Pearson Park, something a lot of people don't think we have. We also have restaurants open like Sabor and Sugar Hill and then for those who don't have to take the kids home, they can visit the Tap Room or Red Room."

Each show will start at 6:30 p.m. at Pearson Park, with food and beverage vendors available at each concert. The event is free to the public and patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. 

In case of rain, the concert will be moved to The Red Room.

Upcoming Kinston Summerfest shows:

Jonathan Parker Band: June 21

As his website suggests, Jonathan Parker is an unapologetic American country music artist from the moonshining swamps of Johnston County. Parker often collaborates with the Bloody Creek Boys. 

Bounce!: July 4

Bounce! is a high-energy wedding and party band from the Raleigh-Durham area, with plenty of classics at their disposal. There will be a fireworks show at 9 p.m., immediately after Bounce!'s performance.

Wicked Shimmies: July 19

Wicked Shimmies is an acoustic band from Eastern North Carolina that has a history with the City of Kinston. The group has made several appearances at the Red Room and North Street Bar and Grill.

Liquid Pleasure: Aug 2

Liquid Pleasure is a group from Chapel Hill with more than 30 years of experience. The band has performed across the nation and their sets cover a wide variety of genres, including beach music, oldies, and disco.

Super Grit Cowboy Band: Aug 23

The Super Grit Cowboy Band has been spreading their brand of country music across the nation since 1975. Original founding member Clyde Mattocks still performs with the band, who will close out the 2018 Kinston Summerfest series.